A Question of Love
by Phoenix Ride
Summary: Inspired by a Donald Duck comic I read. An important question has been left unanswered, and Donald wonders whether he is really loved. When danger comes to threaten the duck, will his nephews see the error of their ways and show that they actually do care about their uncle's life? Or will it prove to be to late for Donald in the end? Find out! Please Read and Review.
1. Chapter 1: The Unanswered Question

**A Question of Love**

 **By: Phoenix Ride**

 **Ch.1: The Unanswered Question  
**

Pain flooded through his blue eyes as Donald Duck slowly shook himself awake and struggled desperately to stand. Darkness consumed every corner of the room around him, not letting in even an inkling of light.

"Where am I?" Donald thought, trying to make sense on how he could have ended up in a black and eerie place.

There were no signs of light in this darkness, no life, no sound, except for that of a distant thunder, beating loud like the banging of a thousand drums.

The thundering noise disturbed Donald, as he slowly felt his mind focus in on its rising tempo. The more he listened, the more nervous he began to feel. Sweat started to pour down his white feathers as the icy grip of fear suddenly clutched his heart.

This noise was eerie, evil, signaling of doom! Desperately Donald tried to cover his ears, begging with all his heart for the thundering noise to finally stop.

"Stop! Stop!" he screamed in his mind, but the noise didn't obey and only increased.

Suddenly, Donald was aware of something sloshing around his legs, and looked down to see water slowly rising up above his feet.

"Wha? Where did this come from?" Donald wondered, confused, before a massive tidal wave suddenly slammed into him from the abyss, pulling him off his feet, dragging him in a powerful current that raged and whirled like a beast.

Instantly, the poor duck found himself buried deep underwater, struggling to breathe against the terrible tide that was threatening to take his life away. He had to find his way back up to the surface and fast, before all hope was gone for good.

Paddling desperately with his arms and legs, Donald fought bravely against the current, trying to control the direction of his swim.

There were dark shapes bulging in the water, which he could only assume to be rocks, rocks that lay scattered out near an edge, that Donald knew could only mean a deadly fall to his doom.

Fighting hard, Donald tried to grip firm onto the rocks as the water swept him past. Once. Twice. Three times he failed!

The waterfall was aiming ever closer! For a fourth time Donald reached, and this time, finally managed to maintain his grip.

With great relief, his beak finally broke the surface, as he gasped in a mouthful of fresh, mostly damp, air. The current still pulled harshly at his body from below, pushing him towards death, mocking his desperate attempt to live.

"Help! Help!" Donald screamed out into the dark, hoping that someone would hear his cries and at least try to save his life.

"Uncle Donald!" suddenly called out a trio of voices, which made the panicked duck greatly sigh with relief.

He could see the riverbank now, with his nephews standing along the edge. His boys were here now, they would save him, and when they did Donald would be extremely grateful to them all.

Within seconds, a rope was thrown into the water, and slithered near Donald's rock, touching the white-feathered duck's side.

Exchanging his grip on the rock for that of the rope, Donald clutched the finely woven strands tightly in his hands, and waited for the boys to start hauling him to shore.

However, by the time Donald had grabbed the rope, the look that was in his nephews eyes had changed. What once held care and worry had now changed into anger and disgust. No love could be found in those eyes, and Donald could feel a sharp, stinging pain clawing deep into his heart.

No love. No life. Always looked down on… Alone… No one cared…

The rope was let go, and Donald screamed as he plunged over the waterfall and fell deep into the abyss, drowning in the dark.

His screams faded. His throat seized. And Donald Duck woke up, starting back to reality, his eyes wide with fear.

* * *

Clank…went the refrigerator, as moments later Donald Duck went into the kitchen to pour himself a drink, in hopes of erasing the nightmare that had plagued his mind.

Oh, if only that dream had been just a nightmare, but it was real, and it had happened today.

Earlier this morning, his nephews had come to him asking if they could keep a stray dog. Donald was very adamant with his answer and said "No!", demanding that the dog be taken back to wherever it was found.

But not long after they left, Donald discovered that there was a reason to keep the dog, and went after his nephews to get him back. The plan didn't go well, and Donald ended up falling into the river, nearly plunging over a waterfall to his death.

The only reason he had managed to make it out alive was because his nephews were able to rescue him in time, as long as their one condition was met.

The nightmare was a disturbing reminder to Donald on how his fate could have been, if he hadn't agreed that his nephews could finally keep the dog. Would they have abandoned him to plunge straight over the waterfall? Was he so worthless that a mere mutt was considered more valuable than his death?

Huey, Dewey, and Louie never revealed what the answer would be. The question still hung in the air, unanswered, but shadowed a foreboding thought that the answer could be true.

Sighing deeply, Donald fingered the milk that he had just poured, watching the ripples resonate as disturbing thoughts turned back in his mind.

He loved his nephews dearly, but did they love him in return?

Donald still remembered the day when he had been forced to raise them.

One night, his sister Della, had left the three babies crying on his doorstep, no longer able to provide for them on her own. They had been abandoned into Donald's care, and Donald was angry yet joyful at the same time.

Taking care of his nephews had proved to be a hassle, and more than once the little tikes would get on Donald's nerves. But despite his angry outbursts, Donald loved them with all of his heart. He cared whether they all would live or die.

Briefly, Donald's mind flashbacked to when he was working as a truant officer and tried to get his boys to go to school. They had resisted, locking themselves in a cabin, and he tried to smoke them out.

When he finally got inside, he had been tricked into believing all three of them were dead, and that he was accidently responsible for the crime. Needless to say, he was very mad when he figured out what they had done.

That was cruel, even for them! But what they could have done today had been the cruelest. Again Donald shivered as he thought of the waterfall, and how close he had come to death.

"Oh, what did I do wrong?" sighed Donald, sipping his milk " Do they hate me? Maybe I'm not meant to be a parent at all."

Releasing another sigh, Donald sank his head down, little knowing that a little pair of ears had listened in, hiding in the shadows.

* * *

Meanwhile, up in the attic, where the boys stayed, Huey and Dewey were busy playing with Alley, the stray dog they had found wondering the street. The yellow retriever was great fun to be around with. Definitely worth for asking to keep.

Who could have believed that only moments ago, Uncle Donald had been asking them to give that dog away. Alley's home was here now, and the nephews would sure that she would stay.

"Hungry girl?" asked Huey, speaking to Alley " Don't worry, soon Lou will be back from the kitchen with grub, hang tight okay."

"Yip, yip!" said the dog.

"If I'm not mistaking" said Dewey " I think I hear our brother coming up now."

Dewey was right, and soon Louie appeared, without the food he was sent to retrieve. Instead, the little duck's face was filled with sadness and guilt, and the brothers knew instantly that something was wrong.

"Hey Lou, what the problem man?" asked Huey " Was there no food in the kitchen?"

Louie just shook his head "No".

"Okay" said Dewey, trying to figure out why his brother was depressed " could you go back and get some?"

Again Louie shook his head, and stalked over to his green-colored bed, his dark expression growing even worse.

Huey and Dewey just stared in silence, waiting for their brother to talk, as Alley walked over and rubbed her nose against the green-clothed duck's leg. Finally, Louie managed to give the barest of expressions, and gave Alley a pat on the head before looking to his brothers with his eyes.

"Did we do the right thing?" Louie asked, tears lining up along his eyes edge " Keeping Alley I mean."

"What are you saying? Of course we did!" said Huey "We couldn't leave her out there all alone."

"Even if our methods were a little irrational," said Dewey.

"That's what I'm talking about!" said Louie "Did we really have to leave Uncle Donald to almost die?"

"What?" said both brothers, suddenly stunned to silence by Louie's words.

"We almost traded Uncle Donald's life to keep Alley" said Louie " what kind of people would do that?!"

"Come on Lou" said Huey, walking up to place a calming hand on his brother's shoulder " You and I both know that we would have never left our uncle to drown."

"Yeah" said Dewey " he may be cranky, but we love him to much for that."

"We didn't act like we loved him today," said Louie.

"Cheer up" said Huey, going over to his bed " we'll make it up to him tomorrow. Come on Alley, you can sleep with me."

"No fair!" said Dewey " I want to sleep with her!"

Moments later, the lights went out, and all of the nephews slept peacefully in their beds, but Louie's sleep was restless as his Uncle Donald's unanswered question flowed through his mind.

If he hadn't said "Yes" to keeping Alley, would they have left him to fall?

Louie snapped awake suddenly as the nightmares began. Quietly, the young duck cried, thinking of the result.


	2. Chapter 2: A Bully's Threat

**Ch.2: A Bully's Threat**

The next day, breakfast in the house was silent, as Donald silently flipped some waffles for his three, growing boys to consume. It didn't take Huey, Dewey, and Louie long to feel the tension in the air.

Normally, in the morning, Donald was in his usual panic to help the boys rush off to school, but today he could hardly look any of them in the eye. Louie felt that he knew the reason, and decided to take a chance to shatter the ice.

"Are you okay Uncle Donald?" asked Louie.

"Huh?" said Donald, looking up from his plate, surprised by the sudden voice in the room. He looked towards Louie, and dismissively answered. "Yeah, I'm fine. How about your…dog?"

The last word was spoken so softly, that Louie hesitated to respond, but Huey and Dewey jumped into explain excitedly.

On and on, while the blue and red duck continued to chatter about Alley, Louie noticed that Donald's frown continued to deepen more and more. Anger burned towards his chipper brothers. Dewey was the first to notice that look, and his chipper personality started to fade.

Luckily, he was saved from a lecture at that moment, when the school bus finally came.

Grabbing their pre-made lunches, the boys raced out the door, ready to ride to class. Donald stood, solemnly waving goodbye, 'till Louie turned around and returned.

Shock lit up on Donald's face, as the young fowl gripped his waist in a loving goodbye hug. The action confused the older duck, as Louie let go and then finally ran back to the bus to head towards school.

He smiled out the window to his uncle as he waved goodbye. Just for today, Louie knew how important it was for Donald to feel like he was loved. Even if he was the only one to make amends, at least Donald would know he still had someone to care.

* * *

Donald did feel a little happier after the kind gesture Louie had made, but confusion still continued to play his mind.

All his doubt from the night before, from his nightmare to the milk, had made him feel like he was worthless to the ones he loved. There was no question that the apology in Louie's hug was genuine, but why hadn't Huey and Dewey done so as well?

"Those two must still not care for me" thought Donald sadly " after all I've done in the past."

At least for now, Louie still cared, regretting that he had a hand in choosing the dog over his uncle's life.

The little pup padded up to Donald right now, as he lazily threw it a bone and settled down in his chair. Fingering for the remote, Donald was about to push the button to turn on the TV, when suddenly, the phone began to ring.

Annoyed at the little distraction, Donald instantly got up to answer the line, and gulped when he heard the voice on the other end of the line.

"Donald!" yelled the voice of his boss, Kent Powers, in his usual impatient tone. "You and Daisy are supposed to have my lunch here in fifteen minutes. How can I impress people with my rugged charm if I'm bending over, starving, because you were late with my food?!"

"Now get over here to the van S.A.P or you're fired!"

With that said, Kent Powers hung up, and Donald grumbled angrily as he slammed down his end.

"Why did I ever start working for that big palooka?!" said Donald, as he moved to gather his things for work.

That vain newscaster was a real pain in the butt to work for, even if Donald just agreed to do it to help Daisy out on the TV show. Well that… and he had planned to retire a bit from running around as the Duck Avenger.

Being a superhero was fun and all, but the job caused a lot of stress, especially since he had to keep his identity secret from all of his friends and family.

Daisy, his nephews, and Scrooge would never know how many times he had saved the world, or just what kind of supervillains he had faced.

Hanging up the mask and cape had been a blessing, giving him more time to hang out with Daisy and raise the boys. Heh, being an uncle and boyfriend was an adventure in itself.

"One will alert me if anything major goes wrong anyway" thought Donald " but what's the chance of that happening? Duckburg's been peaceful for a long time. Well, I'd better hurry, don't want Mr. Vain to spoil his appetite."

And with that final thought, Donald walked out and closed the door.

* * *

Meanwhile, later at the school, Huey, Dewey, and Louie were at their lockers, putting away their books to get ready for the next class when a grunty voice spoke meaning that Slab had appeared. Slab was the high school's resident bully, always picking on the little kids he thought were a waste. Huey, Dewey, and Louie were some of his favorite targets.

"What do you want Slab?" said Huey, instantly putting on a strong front.

"What I always want" said Slab, grinning his doggish grin " to make you and your brothers feel pain."

"Didn't the last visit to the principal's office teach you anything?" asked Louie with a glare.

"Oh it did" said Slab " and I learned how mean you boys can be. You're just a couple bullies yourselves aren't ya?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Dewey.

"Not that I'm surprised" said Slab, ignoring Dewey's question " given the Uncle you were raised with and all. I guess I would grow up to be a jerk if I had to be raised with that psycho-maniac too. Your parents must have been very cruel to leave you abandoned with a lunatic like him."

" Hey!" said Huey miffed " We are not abandoned! And you have no right to talk about our parents like that!"

"Or Uncle Donald!" said Dewey.

"Yeah!" said Louie " He's the greatest uncle that ever was!"

"Really?" said Slab " Well if he's so great, why did you almost leave him to die then?"

Huey, Dewey, and Louie were stunned.

"Wha…what are you talking about Slab?" stuttered Huey, surprised that the bully seemed to know the truth.

"I'm saying that I know all about what happened yesterday at the waterfall" said Slab, with a wicked grin " An anonymous source tipped me off, and now I know how cruel you guys can be. The proof is in my hands boys, and if you want it to stay secret, you'll have to be extremely nice to me from now on."

Just then, the tardy bell rang, and Slab walked off with a smile.

"See you in class, losers!"

Once the bully had disappeared, the three duck brothers looked at each other stunned. Guilt and frustration built in their eyes, and Louie looked ready to burst.

"He knows about the waterfall" the green duck grated " He knows what we almost did to Uncle D."

"But how did he find out?" asked Dewey.

"Bet you that anonymous source has something to do with it" said Huey " We find him and we…,"

"Are late for class!" a stern voice suddenly interrupted.

Soon, the three boys were dragged away by the school's security monitor and thrown into the classroom to learn. Their worries about Slab and his unexpected knowledge would have to wait until another time.

Which hopefully, given current events, would happen sometime soon.


	3. Chapter 3: Daisy's Concern

**Ch.3: Daisy's Concern**

"Heh," Donald sighed as Kent Powers kept on trying to barge in and interrupt Daisy's newscast.

Even though he was the boss and the so-called 'star' of this show, Kent never really appealed to the audience's tastes. Daisy did a far better job reporting than Kent ever could, so it annoyed Donald sometimes when vain reporter sought to steal a little spotlight for himself.

However, videotaping all of Kent's hilarious flaws, and exposing them on live TV was one perk Donald felt hard to resist.

After twirling himself into a pretzel when trying to show off during an outdoor yoga lesson, Kent angrily glared as Donald turned the camera back towards Daisy, who was trying hard not to laugh as she finished her report.

"So in conclusion" the female duck " if you ever feel the need to stretch out head down to the city park, and join the blissful exercise of yoga. Just try not to get tangled up. This is Daisy Duck reporting for What In The World signing off, bye."

Freeing himself just as the camera turned off, Kent walked over where Donald and Daisy stood, not pleased with the little air time he had.

"I'm supposed to be the star here! Me!" said Kent to Daisy " You're just the low-paid sidekick to my heroic grace."

"Heroic, yeah right" said Daisy " like when you tried to cheat me and Donald out by pulling all those stunts. You don't have a knack for danger Kent. The Duck Avenger puts himself at more risk than you do."

"That lunatic!" said Kent " He's gone! He's yesterday's news. Hero? Angus Fangus from Channel 00 News clearly classified him as a crook. It's a good thing for the whole city that he happened to disappear."

"And you had better watch your tone" Kent continued " I can easily just fire from this show like I wanted to from the start."

"If you wanted too it would have happened already," said Daisy.

At a loss for words, Kent stood silently dumbfounded as Daisy and Donald walked away.

"Oh, that creep!" said Donald angrilly " What right does he have to talk to us like that. We bust our butts and…Aargh!"

"I know Donald" said Daisy " but we'll live. Hey, I was thinking that you and me can take the boys out for a little trip this weekend. You know that new waterpark they've been talking about? It will be fun."

"Um" said Donald, suddenly becoming depressed "I'm not so sure Daisy….the boys…,"

"Donald, what's wrong?" asked Daisy, noting her boyfriend's state with concern.

Something terrible had happened, she could see it in Donald's eyes. Whatever it was, it seemed serious enough to tear Donald's relationship with his nephews apart.

What happened now? Did one of the boys pranks finally go to far? Had something bad happened to one of them? Daisy knew that Donald was somehow hesitant to tell the truth, but she needed to know what was going on. How else could she help him recover from a sad state like this?

Finally, Donald sighed and decided to tell a little bit of the truth. Daisy didn't have to know about the whole incident at the waterfall, just a sentence or two would suffice.

"Something terrible happened yesterday" said Donald " and the boys…didn't seem to love me, like I loved them. Am I a terrible parent Daisy?"

Daisy was shocked.

"Oh Donald, of course not" she said, placing a calming hand on his shoulder " You're a great parent, raising them the way you did. No matter what happens they love you. Deep down you know they still care."

"Maybe Louie" said Donald admittedly " but Huey and Dewey…my life must really be worthless for them to choose a dog over me."

"A dog?" asked Daisy confused " What dog?"

Here, Donald explained to Daisy that the boys had found a lost pet, and he refused to let them keep it at first. Then, that something terrible happened, and Donald was forced to change his mind.

"Don't ask me to explain what it was" said Donald, looking seriously at Daisy " I had nightmares last night, and I don't feel like reliving them today."

"Of course" said Daisy " I won't." Even though she was definitely curious.

"Anyway" she continued " having a dog in the house can't be that bad can it? After all you used to have a pet, though I forgot her name."

"Tabby," said Donald softly, thinking about his old cat.

Now that was one crazy feline to have around. Fun to hang out with, and a big pain in the neck to his cousin Fethry Duck. Donald laughed at some of the memories of Tabby and Fethry's fights, sometimes being forced to join up on the same team. The two made up a hilarious pair.

It was to bad now that Tabby was gone. Sold and shipped away, so that Donald could pay up an Uncle Scrooge debt.

Donald hadn't wanted to say goodbye, but Tabby was gone now, and Donald doubted he would ever see her again.

"Just try to cheer up okay Don" said Daisy, smiling sweetly " Things will get better, you'll see."

"Thanks Daisy," said Donald.

Although with his luck, things might turn out worse.

* * *

Meanwhile, down at the school, the last bell rang, and the nephews were relieved that they could finally relax after being 'nice' to Slab through the whole school day.

The bully had definitely taken advantage of knowing the ducks horrible, little secret all day through class. Pushing at their buttons, and getting them in trouble with their teachers.

Huey, Dewey, and Louie were lucky they didn't end up with at least nine thousand detentions for how much they wanted to strangle Slab and beat him on the ground for the misery he caused today.

Although Louie supposed that he and his brothers definitely deserved it. This was karma paying them back for the horrible deed they almost did the other day.

However, how did Slab know what had happened at the waterfall yesterday anyway? How did he know that the nephews had almost left their own uncle to die?

That was one mystery the boys were determined to figure out, as they walked out the school doors and spotted Slab, walking over the streets to head home.

Following his trail like shadows, the three ducks followed Slab as the bully finally reached his house, and lay hidden among the trees.

A beagle-faced kid lay standing on Slab's front doorstep, grinning with delight as he saw Slab approach from beyond.

"Slab my man" said the beagle kid " Did it work? Did it work? Was the information I gave you good?"

"Worked like a charm little brother" said Slab " I knew sending you to spy on those three would be good, but I never imagined this. I was hesitant to believe your story at first, but the looks on their faces seemed to confirm. To bad I don't have proof so we can go to the papers, and report what those three almost did to their uncle."

"I'm sorry Slab" said the kid " my camera was lost as I came running back to tell you the news. Someone else probably has it by now."

"Doesn't matter now" said Slab " What counts is that they know that I know, and that will cause them fear. I'll probably milk it for a few weeks before I get tired and bored."

With that said, Slab and his brother walked inside, unaware of the three angry ducks hiding, who overheard.

"Oh that jerk!" said Huey " He's going to pay back big time for a stunt like this!"

"I suggest that a proper punishment is necessary" said Dewey " the only question is how?"

"Eh, we'll figure out the details later" said Huey " let's head for home."

"If Uncle D even wants us there," thought Louie, as he followed his brothers back.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Donald's house, the little pup named Alley jumped and barked around excitedly trying to keep herself entertained as she waited for her new masters to get home.

The young ducks were great to hang and play around with, and their grumpy uncle may be a sourpuss, but he was just a tortured soul that needed a little love, and Alley was sure that she could make him smile by the end of the day.

Her old master had been pretty hard to please too, but Alley was sure she could cheer Donald up either way.

However, just as the puppy was making her plans to please her new family, an ominous chill could be felt in the air, as if a dark shadow suddenly tried to block out the sun of her life.

The sudden change of mood was eerie with fear, as Alley got the feeling that someone evil had suddenly entered the house.

She couldn't detect it with her ears. She couldn't see it with her eyes. Everything was dead and silent, like the echoes moaning across a grave.

Then, it happened. The darkness jumped, and the next moment Alley felt was slashing pain. Claws digging, cutting bloody slots across her chest.

A howl of pain escaped from her mouth in terror, bouncing off of the empty walls.

The attack stopped, and darkness came to claim the puppy's eyes.

"This is just a message. I will make him pay."


	4. Chapter 4: Puppy Tears

**Ch.4: Puppy Tears**

"Uncle Donald, we're home!" called Huey as soon as he and his brothers entered.

"Hmm, he must still be at work," said Dewey, once they didn't get an answer back.

"Well" said Louie " I'm going to put my stuff in our room."

"Fine" said Huey, as his brother left " you do that, and me and Dew here will go hang out with Alley. Alley! Hello! Here girl!"

"Hey Hue" said Dewey "I've been thinking on way back. Maybe Louie and Slab have a point. We have been awful rough on Uncle D."

"Yeah so?" said Huey " We're rough on him all the time. He always forgives us in the end. And Slab deserves a little payback for saying we don't care."

"I agree he needs to be taught a lesson but…" Dewey suddenly cut off when something caught his ear " Do hear something groaning?"

Curious to what it could be, the two ducks carefully followed the faint sound until they reached the living room den. Once they stepped inside, gasps left their beaks at the horror they found.

"Alley!" they screamed, running towards the dog at once.

Louie was just coming back downstairs when he heard his brothers screams. Worried that something bad had happened, Louie immediately rushed into the living room to see what was wrong.

Tears nearly fell out of the green duck's eyes when he beheld the horrible sight.

His two brothers sat kneeling, circled around what seemed to be an unconscious Alley, broken and bleeding, lying down on the floor.

"Oh no," said Louie, joining his brothers down there to mourn.

How could this have happened during the short time they've been gone? Who would be so cruel as to attack a cute puppy like this?

For a few moments, sadness gripped the air like a crushing hand, and then was interrupted when Donald finally came through the door.

"Boys I'm home!" Donald called out "I'll make dinner in a bi…Whah! What happened here?"

"Uncle Donald" said Huey, looking up sadly " Help her, please."

"Boys what happened?" Donald asked softly.

"Please" said Dewey, looking up as well, tears staining his eyes edge "Please help her."

"I'll call the vet," said Donald, leaving immediately to get the phone.

Minutes later, the vet arrived, and the whole duck family traveled down to the animal hospital to see if there was any hope that Alley would survive.

Donald was somewhat shocked to not hear his nephews speak once while they waited outside of the medical room. The damage done to their puppy had all hit them hard.

Even though Donald still held a small dislike for dog, seeing his nephews sad faces was more than he could bear. Whoever had the audacity to attack Alley, Donald swore he make them pay.

"Mr. Duck?" called the vet, motioning for Donald to step inside.

Getting up from out of his chair, Donald stepped into the medical room, forcing himself to look away from the table where Alley lay, as the doctor gave him a medical report.

"She's severely injured, but alive" said the vet " It will take several days for her to heal. I suggest keeping the puppy here for further observation and treatment. Poor things looks as if she had been mauled by a cat. Are you sure you don't know about anything that might have caused this?"

"No," said Donald seriously. He still didn't have any idea how the attacker could have got inside.

He always locked up the house when he left, and he and the boys always had their own keys so they could get back inside. And why attack the dog? What enemy did Alley have that hated her so much?

The mystery was confusing and Donald had no idea where he could start for any leads.

"I need the intelligence of One to figure out this disaster."

Just then, a beep sounded out from one of Donald's non-existent pockets, and he drew out a small communicator from his feathers before placing it on his ear. The voice of the computer friend he had just been thinking about shouted out loud and clear.

"Avenger, emergency! Return to Ducklair Tower at once!"

"Wha..One?!" said Donald shocked and confused.

What possibly could have happened now? It seemed like one crisis after another was being thrown into Donald's life; the waterfall, the dog, and now this. The poor duck didn't know he was even going to survive.

But it was clear from the call that One needed him right now. The Duck Avenger needed to come out of retirement, he needed to lend a helping hand.

The only problem was his nephews. He couldn't just leave them here alone suffering through a crisis like this. They would hate him for the rest of his life if he abandoned them now.

Not like they didn't hate him he supposed, the memory of the waterfall still clear in his head.

For a moment, Donald warred with the decision whether to stay or go in his mind. One needed him, but so did the boys. Someone had to care about the puppy. Someone had to save the world.

Finally, with great regret, Donald finally made up his mind, and asked the vet if he could make a phone call to Daisy.

"Sorry boys," Donald mumbled in his mind.

He had to go help One. His friend needed him, and expected him to show.

Even if this adventure tore Donald's relationship with his family further apart, Donald was willing to pay the price.


	5. Chapter 5: Painful Goodbyes

**Ch.5: Painful Goodbyes**

Daisy rushed over to the animal hospital as fast she could after she got a call from Donald that something had gone wrong. His words were broken and desperate on the phone, and Daisy could barely calm down the sweat in her feathers as she recalled her boyfriend's somber words.

"Daisy…I need you to come over here and take the boys. Their puppy…I…I can't…Just come to the vet and I'll try to explain."

It wasn't long until Daisy arrived and ran into Donald who stood alone in the lobby, eyes holding a painful gaze. The nephews were still sitting in the waiting room, just a few feet to the left.

"Donald, what happened?" asked Daisy, approaching, her tone laced with concern.

Quietly, Donald explained what he and the boys had discovered not long after they returned home. Poor Alley was found bleeding on the floor, and they had to rush her right to the vet for treatment.

The vet informed Donald that the pup would have to stay at the hospital for a few days, and Donald so wanted to stay to help the boys through this troubling time, but he received an emergency call he just had to respond. There was no other choice, he had to go.

"Can they stay over at your house while I'm gone?"

Daisy wasn't sure what to say at first. From the look in Donald's eyes, it was clear there was more to this emergency call than it actually seemed. Maybe a normal person couldn't have spotted it, but to a reporter like Daisy, it was as clear as day.

However, there was guilt and desperation in that gaze as well. Donald really needed her to do this. There was no time to wonder as to why.

"Alright," Daisy finally said, and then they went into the waiting room to tell the boys.

As expected, their expressions went from sad to stunned the moment Donald announced that he had to leave.

"What? Why?" asked Huey, surprised that their uncle would leave them behind in such a state.

Louie instantly worried, thinking the waterfall might be the cause, but Uncle Donald seemed concerned about something else. Something that apparently had to be kept secret to all their ears.

This was only confirmed when Donald softly answered Huey's question.

"I can't say,"

"Why not?" asked Dewey, suspicion rolling in his mind.

Immediately, the brainiac duck tried to figure out a logical reason as to why their uncle would leave them behind. It didn't make any sense! This didn't fit Uncle D's pattern at all!

Dewey could see the guilt in his uncle's gaze, but the poor duck's mind was left swirling in confusion, battling against the depression and the rage that was growing at the same time.

"Why Uncle D?" he thought " Why can't you tell us?"

Donald just stayed silent, looking down at the floor. He really wished he could tell the Dewey the answer, and have his nephews understand, but there were some things in life they shouldn't know. What would be revealed would be a shock!

However, the biggest shock was yet to come, as Huey hopped off his chair, and glared at Donald in rage.

Emotions were running wild inside of the red duck's mind, as moments of the past flashed by, surging like a storm; his Uncle, Slab's words, and most of all Alley, who was still lying in the medical room.

"Answer us!" said Huey, approaching his unk " Why can't you tell where you suddenly have to go? You would really leave us like this? Abandon us, like you did to Uncle Scrooge the moment you joined the Navy?"

Everyone besides Huey gasped, and Daisy couldn't help but glare. How dare Huey say something like that? Donald never abandoned them! He put them with a responsible relative, and picked them up as soon as he came back.

But Huey wasn't through with his rant, and his eyes grew tearful as his tone grew dark and he accused…

"You're the one who really hurt Alley weren't ya?! You never like the fact that we wanted a dog around more than you!"

"Gasp!" went Dewey, Louie, and Daisy as Donald's eyes opened wide, hurt to the quick by his nephew's words.

"Huey!" Daisy accused, glaring at the red duck.

Realizing to late what he said, Huey quickly covered his mouth and looked down at the floor, feeling really stupid and frustrated that he had let such cruel words slip out of his mouth.

Donald stood silent for a moment more, before the expression on his beak turned sad. Now he knew what his nephews felt. Now he knew they didn't care.

Turning his back to his boys, Donald slowly walked out of the room to go.

"Uncle Donald…I…," stumbled Huey softly, unable to come up with the words.

"Donald wait!" said Daisy, running to catch up with her boyfriend, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. " I'm sure Huey didn't mean that. Do you really have to go?"

Donald looked upon Daisy with sadness, and Daisy backed up, shocked to see so much depression swelling in his eyes.

"Take care of them toots," said Donald, and then walked out of the animal hospital for good.

Daisy stood behind, crying, knowing that Donald was gone.


	6. Chapter 6: Tension Storms

**Ch.6: Tension Storms**

The air was tense with emotions as Diasy silently drove herself and the boys home, frustration and hurt welling in her mind as she replayed the events of Donald's departure, over and over again like a bad song.

The nephews remained silent, smart enough not to speak and irritate the female duck even more. Any word spoken right now would just make the whole situation worse.

Although the silence was just as bad.

Trapped in the backseat with his brothers, Dewey sat, unsure of what to feel, as he lingered between the two.

Huey's face was turned, staring out of the window, full of grief and guilt as he thought of the cruel words he had said to Uncle D. He didn't really mean that did he? Uncle D did a lot to help them out in the past.

Raising them, putting up with all their jokes, and even though he didn't like Alley, he still cared enough to call the vet.

Turning away from his red-clothed brother, Dewey looked over to Louie, who sat glaring over in Huey's direction. The green duck's eyes were filled with murderous fury, and Dewey flinched at the rage held within.

There was no doubt why Louie was upset. Those words said to Uncle D, combined with the incident at the waterfall, had been the tools who had pushed Donald away.

"Louie was right" thought Dewey to himself " It's our fault Uncle D went away."

Finally, the tense car ride was over as Daisy pulled up her driveway and parked on the path. Still frustrated and silent, she guided the boys out of the car and into her home.

Once inside, it took a while to get adjusted to the new surroundings, even though the boys had been over to Daisy's house before to care of her pet Knuckles when she was gone for a bit.

However, all those visits before had been temporary. Who knew how long this arrangement would last?

"I'll bring some of your stuff later" said Daisy to the boys " There's an extra guest room upstairs that should do for your room. I'll make supper in a bit."

With that said, Daisy walked upstairs to arrange the boy's bedroom for tonight, leaving the trio alone, standing in the den, tension rising from the ground.

Again, the silence proved to be deadly, and Dewey stepped back from his two brothers, sensing that something bad was about to go down.

"Guys I…," Huey started to say, but was suddenly interrupted as Louie pounced and landed on the red duck's chest. Dewey gasped in shock, as Huey looked surprised. Louie couldn't care less as he let his anger flare.

"This is all your fault!" yelled Louie " How could you say that to Uncle D!? Don't you realize how much pain we caused already!? He thinks we don't care! He thinks we don't love him! And now, because of you, he'll never see otherwise!"

Louie violently let go of Huey's shirt as he stood back on his feet, still glaring.

"I saw him the night after the waterfall" said Louie " You didn't see how sad he was, in how much pain. He was crying guys! He was crying because of us."

"Slab was right" he continued " we're nothing but bullies. All those times we've pulled him out of danger before doesn't count, if we're willing to trade our Uncle's life for that of a dog."

" _You never like the fact that we wanted a dog around more than you!"_

Huey's words came back to haunt him as he stood back on his feet, guilty and little bit shaken by Louie's assault.

"You're right" he said " it is my fault. Uncle D left because of me."

"No" said Dewey, stepping up to his brother " We're all to blame. If we hadn't threatened to send Uncle D down that waterfall then…,"

"Waterfall?" suddenly interrupted the surprised voice of Daisy.

As one, the boys looked up stunned to see Daisy descending back down the stairs. The female duck had overheard the last of Dewey's words, and suddenly, that 'something terrible' Donald refused to tell her about today became all to clear.

"You almost left him to die?" said Daisy, eyes narrowing to a glare " Boys, I can't believe either of you! Donald has given you so much, but you betray him for a dog! No wonder he was so upset today."

"It's no wonder he didn't feel like he was loved" she continued " or even if he deserved to raise you boys at all. From what I heard, Louie at least attempted to apologize, but Huey, Dewey, apologies don't count unless all three of you do it, and attempt to change."

"I don't know when Donald will return, but when he does, you'd better make things right! I'll go and make supper now."

And with that said, Daisy left, leaving the boys to stew on her words.

Yes, things needed to change. They all needed to make amends.

If…when Uncle Donald decided to return, they would all gather around and make things right, apologize for how he had been burned.

When Donald returned, his unanswered question would finally have an answer. But the important question right now was, would he ever come home?


	7. Chapter 7: Emergency Call

**Ch.7: Emergency Call**

Not far away, in the center of the main city of Duckburg, stood the tallest and most highly-advanced building Duckburgians had ever seen. Ducklair Tower, truly a most wonderful sight to behold.

Wonderful, but quiet. Quiet. Alone.

"Haa…," sighed One from his position on 151st floor. He missed the Duck Avenger.

It had been a few years now since the hero decided to retire from his crime-fighting days. One was shocked when Donald first came to him to give him the news.

* * *

 **(FlashBack)**

* * *

" _Ah, welcome back my friend" greeted One, as the Duck Avenger strolled back in through the door " I'm glad to see that you have made it back in one piece."_

" _Me too" said Donald, as he stripped off his superhero gear "it will be a while before those aliens repair that warship of theirs. Though, I've been noticing something, the Enrovians haven't been attacking that much lately. Do you think Gorthan…,"_

" _Might have changed his mind?" guessed One " Maybe. He did withdraw his invasion force when he could have won very easily. And I'm still surprised he selected you to referee his match when Rhauros tried to take over his throne."_

" _Maybe he's growing soft" One continued " although some Enrovians seem objective to such ideals."_

" _Yeah, that's always a pain" said Donald, taking a seat in a chair " The life of a superhero huh? Speaking of which, One, I need to tell you something."_

" _What is it?" asked One, his computer expression becoming concerned. From the sound of his friend's voice, it didn't sound like it was very good news._

" _Haa" Donald sighed, trying to figure out how to explain "I think I need to spend more time with the boys. They're growing up, and will be entering High School any day now. They'll be home more often, and it's going to be hard to hide my secret life."_

" _Besides that" continued Donald " Daisy came to visit me last week, asking if I would come help with her new job. I haven't seen her for months, and it would good to catch up with her."_

" _So you want to retire then?" asked One a bit sadly, realizing what his friend truly wanted to say._

" _Kind of," said Donald, looking down. " Part of me wants to stay, but I have family and…,"_

" _I understand" said One, interrupting " If this is truly what you want Donald, then go."_

" _Are you sure?" asked Donald, getting up, his eyes shining a bit with relieved disbelief._

" _Yes" said One, now looking down " though I am going to miss you my friend."_

" _Hey we can still keep in contact" said Donald " I'll keep the suit and communicator handy okay pal? Any time there's an emergency just call, and I'll come back, I promise."_

" _Deal," said One with a grin._

" _Good" said Donald " Well, I'd better get home. And by the way…I'll miss you too."_

* * *

 **(End Flashback)**

* * *

"Haa…," sighed One again, as the memory faded away from his mind.

It had been hard moving on since his friend had disappeared. Until the Duck Avenger came into One's life, life was serving a very meager purpose, especially since his former master, Everett Ducklair, went away to find himself in some sort of forgotten mountain range.

Donald had brought excitement and adventure into One's life, and though the computer was a bit conflicted in the beginning on whether he should terminate or keep their growing friendship, having someone else to spend time with was more preferred than to being alone.

Alone, the feeling he felt when his first master left, and now the feeling when his friend left as well.

Somewhere deep inside his circuits, One knew that their partnership couldn't simply last forever. Eventually, Donald would die, perishing bravely on the battlefield, or else want to retire, like he did now, and spend more time with his family and friends.

Despite the pain these options would bring, One knew that the latter option was better than the former. And no matter how serious the crimes came to be, it was up to the blue-coats now to maintain peace in Duckburg.

There was no need to interrupt the means of Donald's normal life, for something so trivial as a purse-snatching ring.

However, if there was only some way that they could be together again, working again as a team. The loneliness aching in One's circuits would cease, and he could enjoy life once again, instead of watching past recordings of what he and the Avenger did throughout the past.

Destruction came soon to grant that wish, as darkness gripped Ducklair Tower, and One's senses switched to alert, knowing that he had an intruder inside of his home.

Before the computer could even contemplate how the intruder could have sneaked past his sensors and slipped inside, the attack began, as shadow creatures came out of nowhere and started slashing everything they saw.

"Stop!" shouted One, as he activated some defenses until the back-up generators came online.

Luckily, not everything in Ducklair Tower was connected to the regular network. One's power source came from the planetary energy the Earth resonates, so he had plenty of power to spare.

However, even though he had some minor form of defense, these shadow creatures received the damage well, barely flinching as One shot them over and over again with his guns.

"I need help!" thought One desperately as the creatures advanced. "I need the Avenger here right now!"

Suddenly a scary thought entered One's mind.

"The X-Transformer! I need to protect it at all costs!"

Leaving part of his system behind to hurriedly get a message to the Duck Avenger, One dashed his way towards the weapons room to guard the shield that Donald had left behind.

There was no way to know for sure, but these creatures, who destroyed everything they touched, were probably sent over to steal the X-Transformer Shield.

Whoever sent these guys, One just knew, he needed to defend that shield whatever the cost! Confirmation came to his brain that his message had been sent. One just hoped that Donald would arrive in time.

* * *

Moments later, Donald finally arrived at Ducklair Tower, praying he wasn't to late as he dashed up the stairs in his Duck Avenger gear, hoping his friend was okay.

As he climbed up the stairs to the 151st floor, Donald cursed himself for a moment for leaving X-Transformer Shield behind. Without it, he was basically weaponless, but there was no way he could have taken it with him when he retired. If one of the boys had discovered it, chaos was sure to follow that path.

In his mind, Donald wondered what kind of chaos could have invaded Ducklair Tower to surprise One like this. All the power he could see was out, and there appeared to be long, deep scratches carved into the walls as he continued to ascend.

What horror had happened here? Donald was a little afraid to find out.

When he finally reached the 151st floor, weary and out of breath, thanks to the lack of elevators from the blackout, a sight of horror stood out clear before his eyes.

Electronic panels were ripped apart, the place was totally trashed, and more claw marks covered the entire room. Instantly Donald felt his heart welling up with fear as he looked and called out desperately for his friend.

"One! One! Where are you?!"

"Avenger!" suddenly appeared a green-colored orb with a face, scaring the superhero and making him jump back towards the door. " So glad that you're finally here!"

"Ha" breathed Donald before regaining his composure " Don't scare me like that! I was worried! One, what the heck happened here?"

"I wish I knew" said One, his face confused " the intruders were not like anything I had ever seen. I don't know how they managed to infiltrate Ducklair Tower, but the damage they've done was severe."

"I can see that" said Donald "I'm just glad you're alright. Any idea what they were after?"

"My guess was the X-Transformer Shield at first" said One " Only you and I knew it was still here. I sent a message to you and went to defend it, but then something strange occurred, and the intruders vanished as soon as they came."

"Huh" said Donald " That makes no sense. If they wanted to steal the X-Transformer, why would they do all this damage, and then leave without taking it?"

"That is the mystery" said One " and we have to figure it out. I'm sorry I interrupted your retirement for this but…,"

"It's okay One" said Donald " things at home are a bit hectic right now anyway. It will be good to worry about something else for a while. Now, tell me what we know…,"

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere far away, a dark force was laughing, pleased to see he had made Donald forced to return. His legacy was back, his heir unveiled, now was the time to make things right, and destroy the hero this city had come to love.


	8. Chapter 8: Madness of the Phantomallard

**Ch.8: Madness of the Phantomallard**

Before Ducklair Tower was ever attacked, the mastermind behind this scheme was left rotting in a solitary jail cell, long forgotten by the warden and even his former criminal foes. This was the cell of the Phantomallard, the original owner of the Villa Rose.

Ah, how good it was back in those days, getting revenge on anyone who gave him a bad turn. Those villains deserved it. They deserved single torture they got. Especially, when they had killed her.

Tears came up into the Phantomallard's eyes as he remembered the day when his partner was killed. She had been such a sweet duck; beautiful, elegant, a way with words. It was hard not to imagine having kids with her one day.

She had never minded that the Phantomallard was this revenge-driven vigilante. She loved him for who he was, and he loved her too in return.

There were thoughts in the Phantomallard's mind that maybe it was time for him to hang up the reins. Going back to his normal life wouldn't be so bad, as long as she was there beside him.

But then, the city betrayed him. He was hunted down, and his partner was killed, stabbed in the back by a traitorous duck, the Phantomallard's own best friend.

Phantomallard was locked in jail and they threw away the key, leaving the former hero to just sit there and brood, his anger slowly increasing as more and more hatred filled his mind.

He had grown so violent towards the guards, that they now practically refused to come down there and serve him any food. This only made the Phantomallard hate them more, and he visually kept picturing ways in which he could destroy them.

Then, news came years later, when a heir to his empire finally appeared. The Duck Avenger he was called.

Getting at money-grabbing tycoons like Scrooge McDuck, until his hero career finally took flight.

It was during the peak of this superhero career, that the Phantomallard had become extremely mad that he at last had an heir. The heir was supposed to be his son or daughter, not whatever fool this duck was!

It got even worse when the warden, guards, and prisoners couldn't even stop chatting about him. The mocked him with this talk of this Duck Avenger praise and apathy that he began to wish that the hero had never exist!

Then, one day, years later, as if his wish had been granted, the Duck Avenger was gone, and chaos rang from some of the cops as they freaked out, realizing the hero was gone.

"Half of a city despises him, yet you can't live without him huh? Pathetic! You're all useless and weak,"

"But he's strong" suddenly spoke out a voice " wouldn't you agree Phantom?"

"You?" said the Phantomallard, turning to the dark figure standing outside of his cell. " Go away! You already caused me enough trouble in the past."

"I was summoned to aid your troubles" said the figure " You never would have had any success without me."

"Why show up now?" asked Phantomallard " After all this time, why reappear?"

"Because…" said the figure " it is time you aided me."

"What?" spoke Phantomallrd confused.

"Your heir has vanished" said the figure " lost his path to revenge. He dishonors you. He must be paid back."

"Tough" said Phantomallard, turning his head away as he crossed his arms " He's not the one I want to kill."

"You lie" said the figure "You want to see him dead. You want to see him suffer through the same pain. I can arrange all that, just like your friend arranged it for you."

Phantomallard growled as he once again thought of his best friend.

"Fine" he said " I could always trust you when it came in a pinch. How you going to find my heir though, if he's no longer here?"

"Oh, he's here" said the figure " I'll just have to persuade him a bit, like I did once, so long ago."


	9. Chapter 9: Not The Same

**Ch.9: Not The Same**

Meanwhile, back in the present, at Daisy's house, the boys were silent as they slowly trugged their way downstairs, to meet with their temporary caretaker, aware of the uncomfortable sleep they had suffered the night before.

There was hope in their minds that yesterday was just a dream. That Alley wasn't hurt and that they hadn't driven their uncle away by acting like they didn't care.

The evidence of reality was clear though. They had driven their uncle away. They had made Donald abandon them by saying he wasn't loved. Now, they would have to suffer the full price for their sins.

Daisy had managed to cook up a meager meal of bacon and eggs by the time the boys finally made it into the dining room. Not a word was said as the ducks ate, and later Daisy excused herself to go work, promising that she would go check on Alley soon after.

The boys nodded their goodbyes, and then headed off towards school. At their lockers, Slab was already there waiting for them, ready to get his bullying started.

"Hey there fellas" said Slab, a sinister grin growing on his face " bring any gifts for me today?"

"Back off Slab" said Huey, narrowing his eyes " we're not in the mood."

"Hey" said Slab, not liking the duck's tone " You have to be nice to me or else. Your little secret…,"

"Or else what?!" Huey exploded, eyes tearing up as he could no longer keep in his pain. " We heard the conversation you had the other day. You don't have proof against us! So why should we bow down and kiss your feet huh?"

"You're right though" he continued " we're jerks! Because of us our uncle is gone and he may never come back! We may never…,"

Here Huey sobbed, as his two brothers put comforting hands upon his shoulders. Slab sobered up, his bullying expression changed. For the first time in his life, he felt pity for the poor ducks.

Clearly they had all suffered through some serious pain, and they didn't need him around to make it worse.

With a tone of serious regret, Slab apologized to the three ducks, and then silently walked away. The bullying mood was gone, and he just wondered where the ducks uncle had vanished.

Would he ever come back? Or would his nephews always mourn?

* * *

Back at Ducklair Tower, Donald yawned as he finished moving the last piece of damaged equipment to the growing pile stacked in the corner of the room. He had been working with One all night to clean up the damage the creatures had done, and the fatigue could be felt on his bones.

Even with the information One managed to gather during the assault, there was still little clue on what these creatures could be. Claws sharp enough to cut through steel, orange eyes…if they were aliens, Donald had never encountered them before.

But why did they trash the place and go home? What was their purpose for coming here?

Donald couldn't figure out the answer, and wondered how the boys were doing back home. He hoped that they were okay, and sorrow seeped into his heart as he thought about the last thing Huey said before he left.

Those words had hurt, and Donald racked them round a while in brain, hoping they weren't true.

"Would they really choose a dog over me? Am I? Am I…?"

Donald couldn't finish his thought, and One floated over to his friend.

Instantly the A.I. could tell that something was wrong. He had suspected as much from observing Donald's behavior last night. Though the Duck Avenger immediately focused on the task, it was clear that the hero was distracted as they tried to piece together what had gone on.

"Donald are you alright?" asked One, his tone full of concern. " Your mind seems to be…somewhere else."

"Huh?" asked Donald " Oh no One, it's nothing really…just…thinking of home."

"I understand" said One, getting the point " I messed up your retirement and…,"

"It's not that" Donald interrupted "Something really terrible happened back home and I've been thinking about it ever since."

"What's that?" asked One.

"I was wondering…" said Donald reluctantly " whether my boys loved me anymore."

"Huh?" said One confused " Why would you think that?"

"The waterfall, what they think I did to their dog" said Donald " and what Huey said really hurt."

"You don't think they love you?" asked One.

"They would answer my question if they really did" said Donald " Anyway, have you learned anything more about the creatures who attacked the tower?"

"Not much" said One " But there was a peculiar sound-byte I captured that I did find strange. Maybe one of the creatures whispered it. I think it said 'Phantomallard'."

"Phantomallard," Donald pondered. The original owner of the Villa Rose? What kind of connection did these creatures have with him?

Donald didn't know to much about his predecessor, except for his wants of an heir and need of revenge. Besides the diary, all knowledge of the Phantomallard's past was a mystery.

Perhaps it was time to finally untangle it.


	10. Chapter 10: Return To Villa Rose

**Ch.10: Return To Villa Rose**

Meanwhile, at the second largest structure in Duckburg, Scrooge McDuck's money bin, the old duck was busy, sitting behind the comfort of his desk, fielding business calls and counting profits he made throughout the day.

He always had such fun when things came to cash, and Ms. Fetherby knew that her boss didn't like to be disrupted. But, even though the secretary was very nervous about disturbing Mr. McDuck, she knew she had something in her hands that was absolutely urgent for Scrooge to see.

"Excuse me Mr. McDuck," said Ms. Fetherby, walking in.

"What is it Fetherby?" asked Scrooge " Can't you see that I'm busy?"

"Yes Sir" said Ms. Fetherby, fingers twitching on the envelope she held " but I think you need to see this urgently. It was dropped off early this morning."

Slightly concerned by the fear in his secretary's tone, Scrooge took the envelope out of Ms. Fetherby's hands, and opened it up for himself. Seconds after seeing the contents, his eyes widened in horror, barely believing the truth in his mind.

Scrooge McDuck shivered, and he had never shivered before, not even during all those treasure hunts he'd shared with the lads. The lads…oh…how was this affecting them? They had to be just heartbroken about it. Did they even know?

"Ms. Fetherby" said Scrooge, putting the envelope down. Business could wait. " Cancel all my plans for today. I have something urgent I need to address."

* * *

Meanwhile, over at school, Louie could barely concentrate on his schoolwork as the teacher droned on, trying to explain math to everyone in the room. He had felt some peace after he and his brothers had stood up to Slab, but that peace couldn't bring their uncle back.

Donald was still gone. There was no telling what he was doing now. Louie just hoped that he was alright.

The bell soon rang and class dismissed, but before the green-clothed duck could move on the next room, the teacher called him back and said the prinicipal just phoned her, wanting him to report to her office at once.

"Why?" Louie thought confused. He hadn't gotten into any trouble had he?

Confused as to what could be going on, Louie turned and headed back towards the principal's office, and was very surprised to see his brothers there when he arrived.

"Huey and Dewey too?" he thought " Man, this can't be good,"

Why were all of them here? What was going on?

The principal's expression was grim as invited all three boys to step into his office, and the uncomfortable atmosphere could be felt as they sat down in chairs.

Louie looked up at the principal, whose eyes were focused, but also drifting away. It was like he didn't even want to look at the boys, but had to because of troubling news. News so horrid, that words could barely express it out loud.

"Principal Mayweather?" asked Dewey cautiously.

Finally, the large duck seemed to snap out of his trance, and glanced down towards the boys.

"Boys" the principal said softly " Your Uncle Scrooge called me just a few seconds ago with some terrible news. He's on his way here right now to deliver it to you in person, but thought that you should be warned."

"Warned about what?" asked Huey.

"Your uncle…Donald…may be…," the principal couldn't finish the thought, but the boys were left in dread at his missing words. " Go back home. I'll your teachers you're done for the day."

With that said, the boys were dismissed. Walking out of school they headed back towards Daisy's place, morbid thoughts filling all of their minds. Fear reached up and throbbed in their hearts. It couldn't…it just couldn't be true!

Finally, they arrived back at the house to see that Uncle Scrooge and Daisy were already there. Both elder ducks sat in the living room with grief and frustration painted along their faces, although Uncle Scrooge appeared to be the most, and Louie decided to risk a daring question in order to break the silence.

"Uncle Scrooge, what's wrong? What happened to Uncle Donald?"

The rich mallard glanced over at the boys, his eyes showing how fiercely he was trying to hold in his depressed rage.

Calmly as he could, Uncle Scrooge began to explain that earlier in the afternoon he had received a letter from someone who reported that Donald was dead. The jerk had even sent pictures in order to prove his claim, but Scrooge wasn't able to accept it, so he came here in case, to see if Donald was still alive.

"Only I learned from Daisy" said Scrooge " that he got a call last night and had to leave in order to help out a friend. And you have no idea where he's gone?"

The boys shook their heads, they had no clue. And maybe if they hadn't been such idiots lately, maybe Donald would have never left.

"Maybe that call was a trap" said Dewey " This 'friend' may have actually threatened Uncle D's life."

"A lot of people have tried that" said Huey " but why would Uncle D keep it a secret from us?"

"There is much about this situation we don't know" said Uncle Scrooge " but I'm not going to vanquish the hope until we find this fiend and prove that Donald is alive, not dead. Pack your bags lads and lassie, we're going to hunt this guy down!"

* * *

"It's been a long time since I've been here," thought Donald, as he looked upon the collapsed structure of the Villa Rose.

This was the place where his whole journey began. An unlucky duck whose fate finally changed, due to some mix-up in the mail. He had won a place called the Villa Rose, and discovered the secrets on how to be an avenger, and take revenge against those who had did him wrong.

The house had definitely seen better days, being blow up by Gladstone when the usually lucky duck unluckily lit the dynamite candle the old avenger left behind. The Phantomallard was truly a genius in disguising his traps as ordinary objects, making the victims feel a brief moment of safety, before everything went wrong.

Donald sighed as the sun set over the horizon, and he prowled through the ruins of the Villa Rose. How did he think he would ever find a clue here? There was nothing here to tell him more about his predecessor or those shadow things that had attacked One.

"Huh Paltry really a slippy guy,"

Wait a minute…Paltry…of course! The Phantomallard's real name! How could Donald forget that?

If he and One broke into the city records and discovered more about the Phantomallard's real identity, then maybe the mystery of those shadow creatures could at last be explained.

"I got to get back to the tower and tell One," thought Donald, liking his plan.

However, before the duck could even return to his camouflaged Duckmobile, a sudden hiss caught Donald's ears, and the mallard turned around to see a horrifying sight.

The sun had disappeared almost completely from the Earth, and in the orange glow of its death, three figures stood silhouetted on top of the ruins of the Villa Rose as day faded into night. Their eerie eyes glowed, and claws and teeth looked ready to tear.

Donald immediately prepared himself for a fight. Whatever these creatures were, whatever their game, they were going to learn that the Duck Avenger was not someone who would go down easily.


	11. Chapter 11: The Phantom Mark

**Ch.11: The Phantom Mark**

Red eyes gleamed deep with bloodlust and malice as the three creatures that stood atop of the ruins of the Villa Rose slowly crept down towards the Duck Avenger, claws out and teeth ready to tear.

"These are the beats who attacked One," thought Donald, activating his shield as he got ready to defend. The same ones who tore up Ducklair Tower. Well now they were going to pay!

"Growl!" the creatures came, striking out at the lone duck in front of them. Donald was more than prepared.

Even though it had been a while since he had done this whole hero gig, he wasn't so rusty that he had forgotten about all of the skills he had used in his experiences before.

Jumping high, thanks to his spring-powered boots, Donald managed to avoid the creatures charge, and then flipped over in the air, facing back, to fire out a laser from his X-Transformer Shield.

The beasts were caught off guard and consumed in a blinding flash of light. Donald smiled to himself.

"Well, that should do it."

He however, was wrong, and his smile quickly disappeared as the dust settled to reveal that the three, terrifying creatures were still alive. The laser had hardly caused any damage to them at all.

The only danger that had increased was their rage, and the beasts glared at Donald with clear intentions to kill.

"Wak!" Donald screamed as they charged again, and fired off a few more weapons from his X-Transformer, none of them really having any effect.

Just what were these monstrous, shadow-like beings made of that made them immune to all this pain?

Donald knew that he couldn't stand around any longer to find out. His best bet right now was to get up and leave, spring-booting his way back to 313.

In the back, the creatures were close behind him, growling like wolves on the hunt as they sliced apart trees with their claws, and hissed inhumanly at the full moon that shined above.

The spring-boots made Donald fast, but somehow, the creatures moved faster. So fast, that on Donald's next jump, the masked mallard gasped in surprise as one of the creatures pounced in front of him, and slapped him through the air with its claw.

Donald landed harshly on the ground, his sides and stomach twisting with pain. Feeling his head, Donald knew that he was bumped and bruised, but the worst damage caused was that to his chest and cape. The cape had now been torn into shreds, while his chest bled out from a vicious scratch, open and bleeding.

Before Donald could even calculate the full damage of his injuries, the creatures appeared again, and the leader jumped upon Donald's chest, pinning the duck to the ground.

Saliva dripped off from its lethal fangs, and Donald could feel the chilling breath brush up against his feathers.

His eyes closed, ready for the end, wishing he could have at least contacted One and let him know that things were going to end like this.

"Remember," suddenly hissed out a demonic voice, and a vision of strange mark suddenly flashed through Donald's mind.

It was eerie and familiar, but evil, holding nothing but the darkest thoughts.

"Huh?" said Donald, and opened his eyes.

The pressure on his chest was gone, and when he looked around, the creatures were nowhere to be seen.

Where did they go? The whole situation hadn't been a dream, had it?

Donald felt his hand clutch down to his side. No, definitely not! But why would they stop when he was at his end?

"I need to tell One," thought Donald, limping his way back to the Duckmobile.

While he limped, the Avenger was unaware of two gleaming eyes, watching at him from the shadows.

* * *

Meanwhile, over at T.N.T. HQ, a secret organization that dealt with unusual paranormal events, Donald Duck's cousin, Fethry, was just waking up in the medical ward, dazed and confused about what happened to him just a few days before.

"Wha…what happened to me?" he said.

"Ah" spoke out a voice " it's good to see you awake Agent Fethry,"

" Head" said Fethry, turning around to see his boss " What happened? Why am I here?"

"You were attacked" said the dog " Agent Finch found you passed out inside of a storage room and in critical condition. You've been here for a couple of days. Turns out one of the supernatural specters we've kept under lock and key has escaped."

"Specters?" said Fethry, suddenly sitting up " Which one? Why? How?"

"We suspect it has something to do with the cat you brought that day," said Head.

Fethry started to remember, the memories flowing back to his fuzzy mind. Yes, he did bring Tabby with him that day.

Tabby was a small, white and silver feline that used to belong to his cousin Donald Duck. Fethry purchased the cat from Donald in order to help him settle off a debt, and promised his cousin that he would keep the feline safe and happy no matter what.

Fethry had just gotten finished taking Tabby to the vet when T.N.T called, and asked for assistance cleaning out all of the large storage rooms so that new equipment could be moved in. Of course, Fethry jumped at the chance to help out, dragging Tabby along for the ride.

Head greeted Fethry as he came in, but when he saw Tabby, the chief's eyes became unsure. Fethry noticed the look and assured Head that Tabby wouldn't cause any harm, setting the cat free to roam, while he asked the chief where he should start.

Fethry found immediate joy sorting through all of the T.N.T junk. He recognized every weapon and machine, and marveled at the power each one of them weld. While playing with a few of the guns, the alarm went off, startling Fethry a bit.

What was going on? What was happening? Things were quiet until now.

Screams started echoing from the hall, causing Fethry to cringe with concern. Had one of the paranormal beings got loose? Should he go help or…Roar!...Blackness….That was all he could remember anymore.

"And they think it was Tabby?" Fethry thought in his mind " Oh I knew I should have dropped him at home."

"Whatever you what Head" said Fethry " I'll help any way I…,"

"Mr. Head" Agent Finch suddenly interrupted " I have an urgent message for Agent Fethry over the phone. It seems like one of his relatives has gone missing."

"What? Who?" asked Head.

Finch gulped.

"Agent Donald."


	12. Chapter 12: Uncovering Truth

**Ch.12: Uncovering Truth**

"Dead?!" Fethry yelled, moments after he had finally made it to his Uncle Scrooge's house. " I thought you said that he was missing?"

"He is missing!" said Uncle Scrooge "Until I see a body, there's no way I'm not going to believe that Donald is still alive. That scoundrel thinks he can get to me through threatening my family. Well, I'll soon prove to him that he's dead wrong."

Silence consumed the air of Uncle Scrooge's private study. Daisy and the boys sat close to each other, while Uncle Scrooge stood up, throwing a fit. Worry was all in their minds.

Had someone very cruel really managed to get their hands on Donald? Or was it all a lie? A clever scheme? Tricking them into thinking he was dead?

On the way up to the mansion, upon Scrooge's insistence that they would be safer up there, Daisy asked Uncle Scrooge on why this supposed killer would decide to mail evidence to him.

Scrooge chillingly explained in the letter he received, it stated that if he didn't relinquish all of his power and fortune, everyone close to him would be hunted down and destroyed, just like his precious nephew was.

Although a large of him wanted to believe that this was all a lie, there was no use in taking chances when lives were at stake. His mansion and money bin were the secure places in the entire Duckburg area. If any killer came busting in here, he wouldn't make it very far.

"Fethry" said Uncle Scrooge " You'll come with me and form a search team so we can find out where this villain is. I already called for backup from St. Canard. Daisy, you and the boys stay here. Ms. Beakley will tend to your needs. Alright, off!"

With that said, Uncle Scrooge and Fethry left, leaving Daisy and the others behind. The boys frowned at being left back, while Daisy was trying to contain her emotions of all the problems that had been happening in the last few days.

"I think I'll go see if I can go help Ms. Beakley with lunch," said Daisy, leaving the boys in the study.

Once Daisy had left, Huey was quick to voice out his concerns.

"Great! Uncle Donald could be out there in great danger, and here we're sitting on the sidelines!"

"What more can we do?" asked Dewey " A letter isn't much of lead."

"Especially when it can't be traced" said Louie " You heard what Uncle Scrooge said when he threw it around."

Huey did remember. It was the first thing there uncle did as soon as they arrived. Once they had entered his study, after calling Fethery, he showed them where the letter was, and started angrily shaking it away in his hand.

Eventually, he got tired of it, and slammed the piece of paper down hard on the floor. There it still lay, helplessly trampled by the feet of a frustrated tycoon.

Cautiously, Louie approached the letter, and unsealed the top so that he could get a closer look at the evidence that had made Uncle Scrooge so mad.

The piece of paper itself revealed the threat, but it was the photos included inside of the envelope that chilled Louie to the bone.

"Guys…" the green duck nervously informed his brothers " I think you need to take a look at this."

Concerned by their brother's tone, Huey and Dewey came over, and too gasped in shock at the photos in Louie's hand.

The scene framed within was hauntingly familiar. A duck, caught in the rage of waterfall, begging for help, salvation from instant death.

* * *

Right now, in Ducklair Tower, the only help Donald was begging for was for One to be more gentle in bandaging his wounds. The computer was good at many things, but First Aid didn't seem to be one of them.

"Ow!" Donald complained as One wrapped a bandage around him tight " It's fortunate for me that you're not a doctor."

"And it's fortunate that you're still alive" said One " Now hold still! This will all be over in a moment."

Finally, the medical treatment was done.

"Ah, that's much better" said Donald "Did you manage to dig up anything on Frankin Paltry?"

"Hardly" said One " I'm not even sure if that's his real name. You predecessor could have used tons of aliases when he started his life of crime. The most I managed to come up with was a limited arrest report, stating the officer responsible for the Phantomallard's case."

"Well that's a start" said Donald " Let's see if he can answer to why those creeps attacked me. Why'd they even bother to leave me alive? Their leader had me pinned to the ground."

"Yes, all of this is very puzzling" thought One "It's almost if they want us to figure the whole thing out."

"They're still not making it easy though" said Donald, crossing his arms " Something flashed through my mind when that thing hissed 'Remember', some sort of symbol. But I can't remember it now."

"We'll have to save such a mystery for another time" said One " Right now, you need to rest before even thinking of breaking into that officer's home. Now go and lie down. I'll keep on searching for more intel about our friends."

"Alright One" yawned Don " A nap, good idea."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Duckburg airport, Uncle Scrooge and Fethry stood still as they waited for a very special plane to arrive.

A few minutes later, it finally did, and the air shifted and stirred as a large, duck-billed plane, gently settled in to the ground. Seconds later, the cock-pit opened, allowing the familiar face of Launchpad McQuack to be seen.

"Hey Mr. McDee" said the pilot, jumping out " Long time, no see!"

"Launchpad" said Scrooge, shaking his friend's hand " Good to see you. For a moment I was worried lad."

"Ah, don't fret" said Launchpad " DW understands. He still has the Ratcatcher to carry him around, fighting crime, you know. You already got Fenton in on this?"

"He's staying where he belongs" said Uncle Scrooge " guarding my money bin. I can't take the chance of thieves trying to rob it as we search. Plus, he'll serve as extra security to make sure Daisy and the boys are safe."

"Well that's good news," said Launchpad.

Scrooge nodded.

"You, Fethery, and I should be all that's needed for the search," he said.

"What about Gladstone?" asked Launchpad.

"Fool's won a cruise and he can't cancel it" said Scrooge " Let's move on!"

With that said, the three ducks entered the lobby area of the airport.

"Any idea where to start?" asked Fethery, before Uncle Scrooge's response was silenced by a flight attendant's approach.

"Excuse me" she said " There's a call at the front desk for a Mr. McDuck."

"Who'd be calling here?" said Scrooge, as he went to see who it was.

"Hello," he said seconds later, clutching his hand upon the line.

A dark voice answered him.

"You should know better than to leave the help alone,"

* * *

"Man, this place is a dump," said Donald, hours later as he searched through the officer's home.

Piles of junk lay stacked everywhere, and it seemed like the man was obsessed, keeping all sorts of Phantomallard memorabilia like photographs and reports. The thing that made it even creepier was that the photos were 'X'-ed out, and the papers appeared crumpled by an angry hand.

"Whoever this guy is" thought Donald " I'm glad he's not home."

Red words stood out bold on some of the photos too, words like; Traitor, Murder, Ex-Best Friend.

"He really knew the Phantomallard well" thought Donald "Say, what is this?"

It looked to be a diary, written in a crude hand. The words were angry yet insightful, and the more he read, the more Donald began to slowly understand.

Suddenly, there was a creak, and Donald activated his X-Transformer Shield. Were those creatures here again, or was someone else going to jump him from the dark.

He got his answer a second later, when a form pounced out of the shadows.


	13. Chapter 13: Dark Discoveries

**Ch.13: Dark Discoveries**

"Ack!" Donald cried, as he dodged the figure leaping towards him "Watch it you big palooka!"

Activating his X-Transformer Shield, Donald got ready to defend himself as the figure turned and advanced towards him again. It wasn't going to get a chance to jump him a second time.

Seeking to put an end to this struggle before it could get to far, Donald pressed a button on his shield, and ejected paralyzing ropes to wrap around his target, making his opponent grunt and lie struggling harmlessly on the floor.

"Ugh! Ugh!" the figure screamed, as he tried to break out of the ropes.

Donald found a switch and flipped on the lights. Once the room was illuminated, he gazed down in surprise to see the officer that owned this home. The officer looked towards him, eyes widening with terror.

"Don't!... Please Phantom!... Don't!... Please let me live!"

"I think you have me confused for someone else pal" said Donald to the scared policeman. " My name is the Duck Avenger. I'm not the Phantomallard just so you know."

"You…you're not?" said the policeman " But those colors…How do I know that you're telling the truth?"

"You're still alive aren't ya?" said Donald " Now talk! What do you know about the previous Phantomallard?"

"He…" started the officer " We were best friends once. But he went out of control, and I had to put a stop to him."

"Did ya?" said Donald " Did ya really? From what I've seen and read so far, it seems like you were a little jealous of your former friend."

"No!" shouted the officer, eyes narrowing into a glare as he grew more confident towards Donald. " He was a monster! He had to be stopped! What happened to Dolly was his fault, not mine! He told me he had to be taken down. That statue…that cursed statue…,"

The officer began to cry, and Donald was left even more confused than before. What was this nut case talking about? What could have happened to make anyone act like this?

"That thing…" growled the officer " When it came in our lives it ruined us. I'm not even sure what to believe anymore. Glomgold gave it as a gift, but to Dolly, Frank, and me it was a curse. It…,"

Suddenly, the mallard cringed and screamed towards the air, unleashing a painful howl. Donald stepped back, shocked at what was going on.

"Hey, what's happening?" he asked, and that's when things suddenly got strange.

The officer's eyes glowed as his body convulsed. Donald could see a sinister symbol shine in his eyes. Then suddenly, the mallard collapsed, and Donald stood confused to what had just gone on.

Was the policeman okay? Was he still alive?

Before Donald could check, the avenger caught a glance of a mysterious figure just watching outside.

"Bet he's responsible for this," thought Donald, as he immediately burst out of the house to give chase.

"Avenger!" called One, stopping his friend before he could get far. " I've just intercepted an urgent communique about another creature attack. Someone at McDuck Manor was nearly killed."

"McDuck Manor?" said Donald "What?! Who?"

"Someone named Ms. Beakley" said One " She's in urgent care at the hospital now."

"Ms. Beakley" thought Donald " Uncle Scrooge's maid,"

Why had she suddenly become a target of the creatures attack? Maybe it wasn't just himself being targeted, but family too, and Uncle Scrooge had been lucky enough not to be in the manor when Ms. Beakley was almost killed.

"I have to get to the hospital," thought Donald, glowering in the direction where the figure had fled.

This chase wasn't over. He would find out what was going on. Flicking his cape, Donald turned around to where he parked 313 and left.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Daisy was crying, remembering the moment where Ms. Beakley had been attacked. Uncle Scrooge and the others were still at the airport, just leaving her, Ms. Beakley, and the children alone.

Everything seemed to be fine at first. Daisy was making her way downstairs, sensing a sweet scent drifting through, and she knew Ms. Beakley must have been fixing the nephews some special treats in order to soften the blow of Donald's loss.

"I'll go and see if she needs help," thought Daisy, making her way over towards the kitchen, when suddenly the lights sputtered and all of the power to the mansion went out.

Fear seized Daisy's throat as a horrible scream sounded out just a few seconds later.

"Ms. Beakley!" she yelled, and dashed her way towards the kitchen even faster.

A growl stopped her just as she made it to the frame of the kitchen door. Terror swelled as bright, glowing, orange eyes burned from out of the darkness, glaring at Daisy as sinister footsteps steadily approached the frame. A gruesome creature slithered out and suddenly lunged at the duck, making Daisy jump back and scream, turning back to run upstairs to retrieve the nephews and hopefully go. Another growl though, stopped her in her tracks, and Daisy looked up to see another creature traveling down the stairs.

Cornered, Daisy quickly turned to seek a safe place, unaware at the moment, that the nephews, were in the middle of trying to do that exact same thing.

Still pouring over their shock from the photos, Huey, Dewey, and Louie practically squawked when all of a sudden things descended into darkness. Growls made their feathers rise up in fear.

Fearful to look back and see exactly what was clawing behind, the nephews immediately sprinted out of Scrooge's study, and towards an escape route they knew was nearby. Thoughts about Beakley and Daisy emerged later as they made it to their old, bedroom window and hastily made their way outside. The letter was still in there too, having been dropped during their run.

Before the trio could devise a plan to help the souls still trapped inside, limo lights roared into the driveway as Scrooge, Duckworth, Launchpad, and Fethry jumped out to see what was wrong.

Scrooge immediately approached the boys, worried, demanding what was going on. In the middle of his rant, the lights in the mansion suddenly came back on, and the growling and tearing finally stopped.

Still frightened, the duck family entered the mansion to find everything in it nearly torn to bits. There was relief when they saw Daisy, and the female duck had somehow found safety by climbing her way up to the top of chandelier. When they discovered Ms. Beakley though, they found that the housekeeper wasn't so fortunate.

Daisy snapped out of her flashback, and looked towards Uncle Scrooge, who was pacing up and down the hospital hallways, angry and full of rage. Just like he was back at the mansion, only now he seemed more furious than before.

Who dare would attack his family! Who dare!

Hopefully, Launchpad and Fethry would be able to find some clues.

Seeking some distraction from his anger, Scrooge turned to the nurse for an update about Beakley's condition, when suddenly the unwelcome company of Angus Fangus decided to walk in.

"What are you doing here?" Scrooge basically growled at the reporter.

"Got a tip that something juicy happened at your place tonight" said Angus, grinning as he ignored the mallard's glare " and that my good friend the Duck Avenger might be involved."

"You and your obsession" steamed Scrooge " The Duck Avenger hasn't been seen around in years. You used to pester Donald a lot because he fantasied that him and some showboat hero had become best friends."

"You don't know that they weren't best friends" said Angus " and what if that 'friend' has returned right now? Only now, he's the bad guy I've been always trying to prove."

"Well keep dreaming pal" said Scrooge " You're not doing a report and the Duck Avenger isn't here."

* * *

Unfortunately, unaware to Scrooge's knowledge, the Duck Avenger a.k.a Donald had just snuck into Ms. Beakley's room. Knowing that his family was somewhere crowded down in the lobby, Donald didn't dare take a risk to try to sneak through.

Ms. Beakley indeed was in bad shape. Donald slowly shook his head as he gazed down at Ms. Beakley and then at her chart. Claws, teeth, there was no doubt these same beasts had struck again.

What was their game here? The attacks were so random, yet clearly centered towards Donald and the rest of the McDuck clan.

Again the brief image of the symbol flashed before Donald's eyes, which the duck quickly shook out of his head. Taking the chart as evidence, the Duck Avenger turned to leave before being stopped, finding out that his arm had been grabbed.

Turning with horror, Donald looked as Ms. Beakley opened her now glowing, orange eyes. A sinister grin lit up her beak, striking fear into Donald's heart.

"Welcome Avenger," hissed out a demonic voice.

A second later, the hand dropped and the light faded, returning the housekeeper to her normal form. Ms. Beakley was now wriggling around and screaming, loudly, and Donald had no doubt that his family downstairs heard and was now sprinting towards the room.

Quickly Donald jumped up to the open window, hoping to make a quick escape when the door to Ms. Beakley's room suddenly burst open.

It was to late. The old croger had moved faster than he had even expected. There was no escaping the glare of Uncle Scrooge.


	14. Chapter 14: The Hunt Begins

**Ch.14: The Hunt Begins**

Seconds earlier, Scrooge had been downstairs trying to think of a good reason to get Angus Fangus to leave when Ms. Beakley's screams suddenly pierced through the air, and his feet rushed automatically, sprinting towards the second floor.

Enough horror had played out in his life today. If any more of his friends and family ended up getting hurt because this psycho wanted more than what he worth… Scrooge swore, he would make it his number one mission that the villain behind all of this was the one who would pay.

Swinging the door open to the housemaid's room, Scrooge shouted and gawked as he caught a masked and caped figure just about the leave. Turning slowly around from his position in the window, the figure glanced at Scrooge, and the rich duck gasped instantly recognizing the face of hero he long thought was gone.

"The Duck Avenger? What's he doing here?"

Eyes locked with each other as silent tension plagued the air. The masked mallard looked disgusted that he had been caught, but Scrooge could see guilt and grief painting the hero's expression as well.

Before the rich duck could speak up and demand what exactly the Duck Avenger was doing in Ms. Beakley's hospital room, the rest of his family, along with that bothersome reporter, caught up and met him at the bedroom door. Angus Fangus's beak lit up with malicious grin as he spotted the Duck Avenger, and brought up his camera to film the scene.

The Duck Avenger scowled. He had to flee before anyone else showed up. Finishing his climb out of the window, Donald springed his way back to where he had left his ride, fighting the urge to look back, as frustration tinged in his very toes.

His family was in danger, and it would look to everyone now like he committed the crime.

"Uncle Scrooge will come out hunting for me. I need to find the real culprit and fast!"

* * *

Confusion continued to plague the hospital not long after the Duck Avenger was gone. Scrooge and his family gathered around a slightly calmer Ms. Beakley, while Angus Fangus laughed, bragging his big scoop before leaving, ready to edit the footage for tomorrow's news.

Scrooge took a big sigh of relief once the reporter was gone, mind roiling in frustration as everything just seemed to be from going bad to worse.

What was the Duck Avenger even doing here? Why did Ms. Beakley scream? What type of evidence was on that chart to make it a target of attempted theft?

Scrooge growled, hating not having all of the answers, and hating even more at the fact that his family was involved.

What was the connection between these bizarre instances? Could Angus's crazy theory somehow be right and the Duck Avenger was behind the crime?

The more Scrooge thought about it, the more the puzzle started to make sense. The Duck Avenger was Donald's 'friend', he could have easily used an emergency call to lead Donald away and lure him to his doom. Targeting Scrooge and his family also made sense, for long before he became hero, he harassed Scrooge with several plots, laughing and smiling a wicked grin before fleeing off like a crook somewhere into the night.

A friend turned enemy. If this was true, then Donald had stepped into a very deadly game, and Ms. Beakley and others had to suffer along on with it.

Webby sobbed, head burrowing deeply over her granny's chest. Scrooge's determination narrowed. It was time to end this game.

"Hello" Scrooge hissed into his cellphone " I want every available resource after the Duck Avenger now!"

Friend, foe, villain, or crook, whoever was the cause in the end, Scrooge promised they would face his wrath.


End file.
